Lok Janshakti Party calls for meeting on October 3

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 2

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has called a meeting was called on October 3 to decide whether the party would go with the NDA or strike alone in 143 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.

This is the last meeting of the Parliamentary Board of the party, the leaders said. The meeting will hold discussions on all the 143 seats, they added

LJP president Chirag Paswan on Thursday flagged issues with JD-U supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a meeting with top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda.

Sources said the meeting aimed to resolve the seat-sharing arrangement among NDA allies for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.

Chirag Paswan, they added, listed his issues with Nitish Kumar and also spoke of pressure from within his party to contest at least 143 seats in the polls to the 243-member Bihar Assembly.

While no seat-sharing deal has been finalised so far, Shah is believed to have told Chirag Paswan that he has no issues with the LJP.

Shah's presence at a meeting of BJP leaders regarding Bihar polls with Chirag Paswan highlights an effort by top leadership to "amicably differences within the ruling National Democratic Alliance" in Bihar, said the sources.

Chirag Paswan-headed LJP has indicated it will fight on 143 seats if it does not get an "honourable" deal within the NDA.

At the same time, he has also assured he will not contest on seats where the BJP will fight.

In 2015, LJP contested 42 seats and won two.

The JD(U) was then with the opposition alliance.